The Tactician Overmind
by IceBite
Summary: While on patrol, Chrom and his group come across a mysterious young woman, wearing garb of the Grimreal, yet possessing glowing purple eyes. What they don't realize is that this one event will change Ylisse forever...as that young woman is a member of the Zerg...more than that: she is their Overmind... Overmind!Robin
1. Backstory

**More stories, more stories, MORE STORIES! WHAT THE HECK...**

**...Anyways...let's get started...**

**Firstly, Robin's build... ... ...is the same as Wasteland Awakening, Stargate Awakening, and Guardian Awakening, with the birthday 2/24...**

**Basically, a brief description of Robin's backstory:**

* * *

Robin's mother escaped Plegia with her when she was around 3-4. Sometime afterwards, she eventually (when Robin was about 10) took Robin to a continent to the south of the Ylissean Continent, trying to flee as far as possible, only to get injured by Grimreal pursuers while crossing the ocean.

By the time they got to the landmass, Robin's mother was close to death. When they got there, they were met by a tall, humanoid being, who took Robin and her mother with him, although Robin's mother died in transit to their destination. The figure then led Robin to an anomaly that merged with Robin, introducing Zerg DNA into her body, turning her into an Overmind (not gonna get into more detail on how that happens). By the time Robin awakens, the figure is gone, only a Drone, a Cerebrate, and the corpse of Robin's mother remaining.

Over the years, Robin grows, as does her hive, and eventually, she and her Cerebrate, Katarina (named for a tactician from the Hero-King Marth's time), have practically taken control of the surprisingly-empty Southern Continent, covered in a modified form of Creep that allows for flora and fauna to live upon it, utilizing grass merged with the Creep as a means to negate the need for consuming the planet (COMPLETE credit goes to Abyssal Angel for this idea, I just like it). Furthermore, Robin herself was modified by the Zerg, and now has the ability to change between 2 forms: one form is her human-like form, which basically resembles herself if she was still a human (barring her eyes, which occasionally will glow purple, and otherwise have purple irises), and her Zerg Combat Form, in which her head is like that of a Mutalisk, upper torso resembles that of a Queen (SCII version), with proper thumbs on her hands, and has 4 tentacles coming from her back that can shoot venomous/acidic spikes. Her legs in this form are long, thin, and digitigrade in nature, giving her a level of speed and stealth in her Zerg form. This form can be activated by a modified Dragonstone+ infested with Creep that Robin possesses, which Katarina calls the 'Infestation Stone', or Robin just nicknames the 'Zergstone'.

During this time, the body of Robin's mother was assimilated by Katarina, and (while Robin was initially upset about it), the Cerebrate managed to impart some of the knowledge Robin's mother held, teaching her. Eventually, Robin decided why she was brought her (in the metaphysical sense): to put an end to Grima, with the Swarm as her way of stopping the Grimreal. When she was 17, she found the ruins of the boat she and her mother arrived in, and, after patching it up with Zerg aid, she returned to the mainland, keeping in contact with the Zerg, while Katarina prepared to evolve a more mobile and human-like body to travel in (without diminishing her capabilities as Cerebrate).

Eventually, a couple months later, she neared Southtown...when she was attacked by Grima. Since she remained connected, the Zerg managed to keep under control, but the attack left the Zerg panicked, especially since they knew what happened. As Robin lay in the field, Katarina sent out a couple Overlords (With various Zerg units in their Ventral Sacs) and an Overseer to investigate while continuously trying to get Robin to respond over her psionic link...unaware that someone else would find Robin before the Overlords and Overseer...

* * *

**This backstory is just to make sure certain things make sense, like where Robin gets the Zerg from, predominantly, as well as...well...spoilers...**

**...Anyways, here's the basics of what Robin has and can do:**

**Her Zerg Hive is kind of a cross between StarCraft I and StarCraft II, with II being the dominant one (due to my greater familiarity with it).**


	2. The Exalted Prince and the Overmind

**Well, here's the first chapter, released just after the Backstory...now...ENJOY!**

**Chapter 1: The Exalted Prince and the Overmind**

* * *

'_Overmind_'

She heard the voice in her head. It sounded like a young woman, and it felt familiar...

'_Overmind...please, respond..._'

Try as she might, she could not remember where she heard it before.

'_Overmind!_'

The voice sounded more desperate...she felt she needed to reply...

'Wha...who...who are you?'

'_Overmind! It's me...your Cerebrate...you...your mind...what happened to you?_'

'I...I don't...'

'_Just rest, Overmind...something attacked your mind, damaged your memory...do not worry, Overmind..._'

She felt herself fading again, and her thoughts once more faded into silence...

* * *

"Chrom...we have to do _something_..."

"What do you propose we do?"

"I... I dunno... "

There were 2 voices: one a young male, one a younger female. She recognized neither. Suddenly, a more familiar voice sounded.

'_Overmind...awaken..._'

'Why do you call me 'Overmind'?'

'_Because you are the Overmind. You are the force that guides us..._'

''Us'?'

'_The Zerg..._'

'And the other voices?'

'_You were found by Te-I mean, Humans. They are not Zerg, but they seem non-hostile. They are what you once were, before you became Zerg. Speak to them..._'

With that, the Overmind finally stirred. She groaned, as her body ached, drawing the other 2's attention. At first, the figures standing over her were blurred, one taller than the other.

"I see you're awake now," the male voice said, the mostly-blue blur moving a little.

"Hey there!" the female voice said softly, the yellowish blur moving.

Finally, the two blurs began to clear, the blue one turning into a young man with navy-blue hair, and the yellow one turning into a younger female with blonde hair and pigtails.

"There're better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know," the young man said. He then extended a hand to the Overmind. "Give me your hand," he said.

The Overmind extended her right hand to him, and on the back of it, there were 2 symbols, overlaying each other as if vying for dominance: one was a V-shaped symbol possessing eyes on it. The other was a spiral, with blades sticking out of the outside of the spiral.

The young man grasped her hand, and pulled her up off the ground, their eyes meeting for a brief moment, before the two backed away a little, the man giving her some space. The Overmind's senses sharpened, and her perception of time slowed down drastically, allowing her to study the figures standing before her.

The first, the young man who helped her to her feet, was of a fit, somewhat muscular, build, and had navy-blue hair and eyes. His clothing and armor covered his left arm, but left his right arm exposed, exposing a brand of sorts on his shoulder. This brand resembled a teardrop with an arc surrounding it from the bottom, with 3 points coming out, first from the sides, then from the bottom. He appeared to be around 19 at the youngest, maybe well into his early-20s.

The girl in yellow was fairly small, and appears no older than the Overmind herself. Her blonde hair and green eyes made her look somewhat different from the navy-blue-haired male, but the shapes of her features were _just_ similar enough to suggest the two being siblings. The Overmind was a bit perplexed by what appeared to be some kind of metal cage under the girl's dress.

It was at this point that she finally noticed a 3rd, much older figure. He had brown hair and brown eyes, and wore glistening, blue armor, over some kind of suit. He was taller than the others, and appeared to be escorting a large horse, armored in similar armor to himself.

"You all right?" the blue-haired man stated.

As the Overmind articulated a response, a word edged its way into her train of thought, and she spoke it without thinking.

"Y-Yes... Thank you...Chrom."

"Ah, then you know who I am?" the man...Chrom...asked.

The Overmind's eyes opened wide: how did she know that. "No, actually. I...It's strange... Your name, it just...came to me..."

'_The mental attack...it _HAS_ to be..._' the Cerebrate stated.

"...Hmm, how curious. Tell me, what's your name? What brings you here?" Chrom stated.

"My name is... It's... Hmm?" No matter how hard she tried, she could not remember her name. All she remembered was the title the Cerebrate called her...'Overmind'...

"...You don't remember your own name?" Chrom asked, concerned.

The Overmind tried to think, but could come up with nothing. "I'm not sure if...I'm sorry...the...only thing I can remember is a title...one that's associated with me, but...it's all I can remember..."

"Really, and what might this title be?" Chrom asked, "Maybe it can help us find out who you are..."

The Overmind thought for a moment, deciding whether to say it. Then, she heard in her head, '_Go ahead..._' from the Cerebrate.

The Overmind, her mind made up, stated, clearly, "Overmind..."

Chrom's face twisted in thought. "I've...never heard of an 'Overmind' before..." he stated after a short while of thought.

"I'm sorry...that's all I recall..." the Overmind stated, "Where...are we exactly?"

"Hey, I've heard of this! It's called amnesia!" the blonde stated, "Not total amnesia, maybe partial amnesia!"

"It's called a load of pegasus dung. We're to believe you remember milord's name, but not your own?" the brown-haired armored man stated, "Not to mention that title. 'Overmind'. Even if it is a real title, it sounds ominous enough, milord."

"B-But it's the truth!" the Overmind pleaded.

"...What if it IS true, Frederick? I mean...whatever group she is a part of, it doesn't look like there's any around here, and if we haven't heard of them, they're either hidden, or they don't exist in Ylisse. Which means that she's all alone out here, and we can't just leave her here, alone and confused. What sort of Shepherds would we be then?"

She then heard in her mind, from the Cerebrate, '_Trust me here, Overmind, I felt his mind. This...Chrom...he's hiding something, but he can be trusted...go with him for now...I can still find you later...fear not: I will be here for you..._'

Frederick then said, "Just the same, milord. I must emphasize caution. 'Twould not do to let a wolf into our flock."

"Right then—we'll take her back to town and sort this out there," Chrom replied.

"Alright...I got nowhere to go for now...I'll follow you..." the Overmind replied.

Chrom smiled and nodded. "Thank you. Worry not: we'll hear you out when we get to town." The group started to move towards the path, the young Overmind following them. Silently, she concentrated and thought...and then her mind reached out across the ocean to a continent to the south. She gasped. "Hey, are you alright?" Chrom asked.

"Fine...I'm fine..." the Overmind replied, as she tried to comprehend what she was feeling: it was like hearing the thoughts and feelings of millions of organisms living on a single continent.

Then...the Cerebrate spoke up again. '_This is your swarm, Overmind...All that you are feeling...all life on that continent...all of it...your brood...your children...your Swarm..._' This freaked her out a little. All those creatures...her's to command. That was...overwhelming...

Still...she couldn't worry about that now, she'll have to converse with the Cerebrate about this when she gets a moment alone...but her thoughts just wouldn't leave her be...

* * *

The group continued onwards, to the nearby town. However, the Overmind's thoughts continued to plague her: who was she, really? What was she? Why was she here? Was it related to the Zerg she supposedly leads? Or...was it for something else?

Finally, she had to stop, her thoughts plaguing her too much. The others noticed this, and stopped as we. "Hey, are you alright?" Chrom asked.

The Overmind shook her head. "I...I don't know...I still don't know what is to become of me. I just...feel so lost..."

"Don't worry, once we've established you are no enemy of Ylisse, we'll help you out..." Chrom said, reassuringly.

"Is that where we are? Ylisse? You mentioned it before..." the Overmind asked.

"You've never heard of the halidom? Ha! Someone pay this actor. She plays quite the fool! The furrowed brow is especially convincing..." Frederick sarcastically stated.

Chrom, however, was not pleased. "Frederick, please," he warned, before turning back to the Overmind. "This land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse. Our ruler, Emmeryn, is called the exalt. I suppose proper introductions are in order... My name is Chrom—but then, you already knew that. The delicate one here is my little sister, Lissa."

"I am not delicate!" the girl, Lissa, butted in, indignantly, "...Hmph! Ignore my brother, please. He can be a bit thick sometimes. But you're lucky the Shepherds found you. Brigands would've been a rude awakening!"

"Shepherds? You tend sheep?...In full armor?" the Overmind asked.

'_I don't know if it's literal, Overmind,_' the Cerebrate stated over the connection, '_But...it seems accurate..._'

"Heh, it's a dangerous job. Just ask Frederick the Wary here," Chrom stated.

"A title I shall wear with pride. Gods forbid one of us keeps an appropriate level of caution," Frederick replied, before turning to the Overmind. "I have every wish to trust you, stranger, but my station mandates otherwise."

"I understand, sir. I would do no less myself," the Overmind stated...as something sparked in her mind. A single word shown out, with a warmth and familiarity that felt like finding a long-lost friend. 'Robin...'

'_You remember your identity, then?_' the Cerebrate asked.

'My...identity?' the Overmind asked.

'_Yes...your name...no harm in saying it now: that is your name...Robin..._' the Cerebrate clarified.

"I...just remembered," the Overmind, Robin, stated, with growing excitement, "My name...my name is Robin. I remember my name!"

Chrom seemed to chuckle at the Overmind's child-like enthusiasm. "Good for you...Robin...Hmmm... Is that foreign? ...Ah, well. We can discuss it later. We're almost to town. Once we—"

"Chrom, look! The town!" Lissa cried.

The group looked towards the town...and saw smoke...

"Damn it! The town is ablaze! Those blasted brigands, no doubt... Frederick, Lissa! Quickly!"

Frederick then asked, "What about her?" gesturing towards Robin.

"Unless she's on fire as well, it can wait!" Chrom stated, earning a 'Hmph!' from the subject in question.

"Aptly put, milord," Frederick stated.

Lissa then butted in, impatiently, "Let's go already!" With that, the trio ran off.

"But what about— Hmm..." Robin called out a little too late. Now, left on her own, she didn't know what to do...

'_Overmind..._'

'Do you...know what I should do?' Robin asked in her mind.

'_Only you could answer that...although..._' the Cerebrate began, '_The 'you' from before this happened would help them...but it is your choice..._'

'The me from before...' Robin thought to herself, 'And the choice...it feels right: I have to help. But how?'

'_You are not just a leader, a director, you can also fight. Your...'Zergstone', as you called it, allows you to unlock your Zerg Combat Form. Also, you trained your human form in Swordplay and Magic Usage. The book you have is a Thunder Tome, the item on your belt, a Bronze Sword, and on your back, a Zergling Slicer, forged from the claw of your first Zergling. You can use both._'

'Are you sure?' Robin asked in her mind, deciding to ask more about what a 'Zergling' is later.

'_Positive,_' the Cerebrate replied in her mind.

Robin nodded, pulled out two of the three weapons, and...felt oddly at-ease with how comfortably they fit into her hands, as though she'd used them hundreds of times before. She closed her eyes, and, finally, when she opened them, her face changed to a resolute expression...and she charged towards the fray.

* * *

***Music Track: "Red vs Blue" by Jeff Williams***

Robin rushed into the town, trying to follow Chrom's group, however, she soon runs into a Barbarian. The Barbarian swings his axe at her, and tries to slice her in half. She dodges the attack and swings the sword, being too close to be able to release a spell. The Barbarian tanks the hit, and attempts to counter, only for Robin to dodge again. Robin swings her sword, and strikes the Barbarian again. Suddenly, a pair of numbers flash before Robin's vision.

_9/15_

This distraction was enough to allow the Barbarian to swipe her to the side. The edge of the axe missed her, but she was still knocked to the side, her sword knocked from her hand. She barely dodged as the Barbarian tried again. Then...

'_Overmind! Use your Venom Spines!_'

'My WHAT?!' Robin mentally asked, confused.

'_Your Venom Spines! Point your hand at your attacker, and concentrate on attacking them with a grooved bone spike coated in Venom!_'

'Ok, you're the one that knows me better than I know myself right now...'

Robin did as was suggested...and she felt something bud in her palm. The Barbarian saw it too, looking at her shocked and confused...

...And Robin gasped as a sharp object shot from her hand and slammed into the Barbarian's chest, with such force as to knock him on his ass. Robin took the chance to grab her sword, and rush the Barbarian...who was howling in pain, as, and Robin watched in shock and disgust, the Barbarian's chest, starting from the spine, was partly eaten away by what appeared to be acid.

'You said those were VENOM Spines!' she exclaimed in her head.

'_They are: the venom is now coursing in the bandit: not too much longer without treatment and he'll die...the acid's just a side-effect._'

"Wonderful..." Robin muttered to herself. 'Still,' she thought, 'It's effective...'

She looked back at the Barbarian she hit, and decided to put him out of his misery, stabbing him in the throat.

'_You can also pick out the Spine, and throw it normally: you're immune to both the Venom and Acid._'

'And my allies...'

'_...Just...make sure they know not to touch the bony spines sticking out of the brigand corpses...Or collect them yourself._'

'...' Robin had no response, as she continued her search from Chrom.

***End Track***

* * *

"Chrom, we have to stop them!" Robin heard Lissa's voice.

"Don't worry—after today, these bandits won't be bothering anyone ever again..." And Chrom's response.

Finally, she rounded a corner and spotted them. "Wait!" she called to them.

Chrom was the first to verbally react. "Robin! You followed us! Why?"

"I don't remember entirely what kind of person I was before, but I know for certain I would never let something like this-" she gestured at the burning village, "-continue without trying to stop it! I'm armed, and I know my way around a fight, if you'll have me."

Chrom still seemed a little nervous, but soon, his friendly smile returned. "Of course—strength in numbers. Just stay close!"

"Right!"

Now, it was Frederick's turn. "Remember, Robin, we face practiced thieves and murderers. They will grant us no quarter. It's kill or be killed."

"I understand. After what they did here, they deserve no quarter," Robin replied, conviction in her voice.

"Truer words were never spoken," Chrom replied.

Before the group charged, Robin said, "Oh, and if you see any bodies that look like they've been dissolved partly by acid, and there's a bony spike in the center of the dissolved corpse...don't touch the spine..."

"Huh?" the other 3 asked confused.

"Just trust me..." Robin replied, "I ran into trouble on my way here, and one of my more...effective...defense measures were activated. Short hand: Something to do with my 'Overmind' status..."

"...Alright..." Chrom replied, with a little unease. Then, Chrom got a closer look at her. "So, Robin, I see you wear a sword. Is it— Wait, is that a tome? ...You know magic?"

"Yes, I do," Robin replied, "I believe I must have practiced it before...you know..."

"Alright," Chrom stated, "As long as you know what you're doing..."

Robin nodded, and the groups advanced on each other.

***Music Track: "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi***

Chrom faced a pair of Mercenaries, while Robin challenged a third, while Frederick blitzed a small group of Myrmidons and Mages. As Robin fought the brigand, she felt a slight tingle, telling her where the Mercenary was going to strike, allowing her to block effectively. 'How...how can I-'

'_Your Psionics. All Overminds have Psionic Powers, and Human-originating ones in particular possess a wide range of powers ranging from Telepathy, speaking through thought, like you have been using with me; to Telekinesis, the ability to move objects with your mind; to creating Psionic Shadows of themselves that can attack their foes; to even limited precognisence, like which you just experienced. It's not perfect, but you can predict an average opponent's attacks, allowing you to effectively counter. Be warned: some enemies may be too unpredictable to predict with this ability, so be on your guard._'

'Good to know...' Robin replied in her mind. The whole exchange happened fast enough to where Robin was barely fazed by it, and was able to take down her opponent. She saw Chrom manage to take down one of his opponents...but the other one got behind him and was about to strike. "Look out!" she called, raising her hand and focusing again, summoning a grooved spine and firing it at high speed at the Mercenary. By the time Chrom whirled around, the bony spike had implanted itself in his assailant, the man falling to the ground, the acid from the spine dissolving his flesh, and the venom killing the man. Robin then rushed over to Chrom, as a Myrmidon charged him. Robin quickly swiped up the spike from the now-corpse, and threw it like a throwing knife, catching the charging opponent in the neck, almost dissolving it off.

The duo were silent for a moment, Chrom shocked to silence due to Robin's warning now making sense...then he said, remembering the warning, "I thought you said not to touch the spines."

"Something about...well...me...makes me immune to the acidic effect," she replied, "The rest of you would dissolve your hand off if you touched it."

"Good to know..." Chrom replied. Robin walked over, and extracted the spike from the man's barely-a-neck. "How did you do that anyways?" Chrom asked.

"I...really don't fully know myself...If...if my memories weren't in such tatters, I'd bet I'd be able to explain it better, but..." She clutched her head, bothered by the missing memories.

"It's alright, we'll figure this out later, now's not the time to fall apart," Chrom stated.

'_He's right. The main leader of this raid is still active to the north, and other bandits are still ready to attack..._' the Cerebrate spoke through her mind.

"Alright...Thank you..." 'Both of you...' Then, she looked over...and the strange phenomenon began again. Strange numbers appearing above individuals' head. Then, their weapons became outlined, and when she concentrated, she could easily identify them. Finally, more numbers appeared, labeled by the words 'strength', 'magic', 'resistance', and others.

"Still with us, Robin?" Chrom asked.

Robin didn't realize she was spacing. "Hmm...It's strange. Here on the battlefield, I can...Well, I can "see" things."

"See things? Like what?" The moment Chrom asked was also the moment Robin was obtaining the answers herself.

"The enemy's strength, their weaponry, the flow of battle...I must have studied this somewhere...Or it could be one of my 'Overmind' abilities...maybe both..."

'_It's both..._'

"So, you're saying you can size up the enemy at a glance?" Chrom asked.

"Yes, and more, if I apply myself...Needless to say, I think I know what to do: have Lissa keep near Frederick, and have him engage the Myrmidons still to the southern edge of the field, while you and I take out the Barbarians and Mages guarding the bridge."

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Chrom stated.

They relayed the plan to the others, and set it in motion. Thanks to the plan (and a few well-placed shots from Robin's 'grooved Venom Spines'), the enemy was swiftly knocked down. Robin surveyed the battlefield one last time.

When she was finished, she announced, "The boss is the only one left."

"Right, let's finish this!" Chrom stated.

When Frederick and Lissa met up with the pair, the team charged forward at the brigand leader. "Here, sheepy sheepy! Come to the slaughter!"

With that, she and Chrom charged, and the Brigand Leader struck, his sweep having such power as to stagger the duo. Then, the raid leader prepared to bring his axe down on Chrom. Frederick readied to charge in...but he (and Chrom) stopped, and stared in shock as Robin shot forward, faster than any human should, and...stopped the axe with her bare hand. Even as the axe cut in, she didn't relent, and neither did her hand: the axe only cut slightly into her skin, enough to draw blood, but yet, the axe didn't go further in. Instead, she sheathed her sword, took something off her back, and, with the new weapon...exerted such power as to snap the axe in half, using the hand she used to stop it to throw the axe head to the side.

She then brought the hand she stopped the axe to her side. Chrom was about to call Lissa...but the words lost themselves as he saw Robin's hand: the wound...was rapidly healing, her hand regenerating. It was then that he noticed Robin's eyes: what were normally just eyes with purple irises were now two glowing purple orbs...her face with an expression of anger. She then charged forward. The brigand held the shaft of his broken axe defensively, as Robin brought her weapon arm down...and swinging in an upward arc, sliced the brigand _in half_, bottom to top...

The two halves fell silently to the ground, the village falling into a deathly silence.

***End Track***

Then, Chrom got a good look at Robin's weapon: it wasn't made from metal, but from the claw of some kind of creature. What surprised him most was how pristine the blade was, despite the hits he _saw_ it take during the fighting. 'Must have been one tough creature,' he thought. Then, he got a look at its shape...

...It wasn't a sword, or an axe, or anything like that...It was a Scythe. One of Robin's weapons was a Scythe, with a blade made from some kind of creature's claw. The blade was long and thin, definitely as though it were grown to be a scythe blade.

Robin's eyes returned to normal, then she dropped to her knees, panting in exhaustion, scythe falling from her hands. Chrom rushed to her side. "Are you alright?" he asked with concern.

Robin looked up at him, groggly, but she managed to stifle it, and nod, smiling. "Yeah, I'm fine...just...need a little rest..." Chrom then helped her to her feet, before returning her scythe to her. Robin then stowed the weaoon and said, "Well, that's the end of that."

"Lucky for the town, we were close by. But holy wow, Robin! I mean...I don't know WHAT to say! Swords, Sorcery, Tactics, shooting spines out of your hands, and who knows WHAT ELSE?!"

"You're certainly no helpless victim, that much is for sure," Chrom stated, "I'm starting to wonder just what being an 'Overmind' is..."

"Indeed. Perhaps you might even be capable of an explanation for how you came here?" Frederick added.

Robin winced at that, "I understand your skepticism, Sir Frederick, but please, believe me. I have shared all that I know with certainty." 'We're going to have to tell them about us, sooner or later...don't we?' Robin asked in her mind, to the Cerebrate.

There was silence for a time, until the Cerebrate finally replied, '_...Your...mission...was to...attempt...a peaceful first contact...with Ylisse...However, it would be wisest to wait until our forces arrive, that way should negotiations go sour, we have an escape plan._'

'Alright...' Robin thought back.

The exchange took place within a second, so Robin's mind was back in reality, when Chrom responded to Robin's earlier statement with, "You fought to save Ylissean lives. My heart says that's enough."

"And your mind, milord? Will you now heed its council as well?" Frederick asked.

Chrom merely answered, "Frederick, the Shepherds could use someone with Robin's talents. We've brigands and unruly neighbors, all looking to bloody our soil. Would you really have us lose such an able tactician? Besides, I believe her story, vastly odd as it might be."

"Th-thank you, Chrom," Robin replied.

"So how about it? Will you join us, Robin?" Chrom asked.

Robin was uncertain. What of the Swarm? Would joining the Shepherd affect them at all?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar, young feminine voice in her mind. '_Worry not, you need not be physically present to lead the Swarm. Besides, joining them could bring a potent ally to the Swarm...besides, I sense it in your heart, and I can tell you this: your past self would desire to help, and would have accepted without a second thought, as much as you want to as well._'

'Alright...thank you...' Robin then returned her attention to Chrom, who seemed like he was waiting patiently for her answer. "I would be honored," Robin finally replied, bringing a smile to Chrom's face.

* * *

The group had split up to aid in repairing the town, during which time, Chrom's group was shocked to see that, in addition to her super-human durability and perception, Robin also possesses inhuman strength, when she managed to lift a collapsed roof off of a child, allowing Lissa to heal the child.

Eventually, they gathered up once the repairs reached a point where the villagers could handle it from there. "Well, that's done...but still! Super strength! What CAN'T you do, Robin?!" Lissa exclaimed. Robin just shrugged, uncertain still of what all her Zerg traits consisted of.

Frederick, however, stepped forward. "There are more pressing matters we need to discuss. Did you notice, milord? The brigands spoke with a Plegian accent."

"Plegian? What's that?" Robin asked.

Chrom replied, "Plegia is Ylisse's westerly neighbor. They send small bands into our territory, hoping to instigate a war."

Robin scowled. "Those monsters...They sound..." She then let out an animalistic snarl, that caused everyone (except, surprising, Lissa) to back two steps away from her.

Lissa, instead, said, "You said it, sister... And it's the poor townsfolk who suffer! Totally innocent, and totally helpless..."

Frederick stepped forward, and, in an uncharacteristically (at least, as far as Robin knew) gentle voice, said, "They do have us, milady: Shepherds to protect the sheep. Do not be swept up in your anger. It will cloud your judgment."

"I know, I know... Don't worry. I'll get used to all this," Lissa replied. It took a while longer for Robin to simmer down, but they could tell she was safe to approach when she stopped producing hisses and snarls that sounded like they should be coming from a Wyvern instead of a Human.

Eventually, a villager approached the group. "Milord, please! You must stay the night! We are simple folk of simple means, but we would gladly toast your valor with a feast!"

Frederick, however, spoke before anyone else could. "A most generous offer, sir, and no doubt your hospitality would be grand... But I'm afraid we must hurry back to Ylisstol."

"Dark meat only for me, medium well, and no salt in the soup. I simply—" Lissa halted mid-statement. "Wait, what?! We're not staying?! But, Frederick, it's nearly dark!"

"When night falls, we'll camp. Eat off the land, make our bed of twigs and the like... I believe you mentioned you would be "getting used to this"?" Frederick replied.

Lissa pouted. "Frederick? Sometimes I hate you."

"You've quite the stern lieutenant there," Robin stated.

'_Indeed..._' the Cerebrate replied.

Lissa crossed her arms, still pouting. "Yeah, well, "stern" is one name for it. I can think of a few others!"

"Frederick only smiles when he's about to bring down the axe," Chrom replied in good humor.

Robin answered, "Duly noted."

Frederick then cleared his throat. "You DO realize I AM still present?"

"Oh, we realize," Chrom replied, causing Robin (and, unknown to the others, the Cerebrate hearing everything through Robin) to giggle.

"Milord remains as amusing as ever," Frederick said, in an unamused tone, "Now then, shall we be going?"

"All right, all right," Chrom replied, "Ready to go Robin? The capital isn't far."

The group moved to walk away, and Robin followed, pulling up the rear. '_You won't get there by nightfall, you know that right?_'

'Yeah, yeah...You said you'd catch up with me...how will I prepare the others for your arrival?' Robin asked.

'_I would suggest waiting for a time where everyone is settled down, and there's little chance to be attacked,_' the Cerebrate replied.

'Alright, so, tonight it is...' Robin replied.

* * *

**Well, that's it for the first chapter. Now, before you ask: yes, Robin has _2 _brands fighting each other on her hand: her Mark of Grima and a brand in the shape of the StarCraft II emblem for the Zerg.**

**Also, Robin's little 'outburst' against Garrick is NOT going to be a 'common' thing, until MUCH later in the story. Furthermore, yes, Robin has a Scythe. While Robin retains her "Tactician" class from the game, she also has a 'secondary' "Zerg Overmind" class. The information for that, and its promotion will be at the bottom of this Author's Note.**

**I'll admit the Overmind Class Line will be a _little_...overpowered...but, please note that this IS meant to be the Zerg OVERMIND, so it's obvious she'd gain bonuses due to the presence of Zerg in Combat, hence her abilities.**

**One more thing, a note on the class information: the reason 'Infested Human' is a possible 'random' spawn for 'Call of the Swarm' will be explained in later chapters, mainly around the events of the game's Chapter 10 and 11...**

**_Zerg Overmind Line_**

**_Zerg Overmind_**

**Weapons: Scythe, Sword, Zergstone**

**Promotions: Overmind Omega**

**Skill 1: Eye of the Swarm (Increases Hit and Avoid by (1 x number of Zerg Units in battle) for two turns, can attack twice)**

**Skill 2: Soul of the Swarm (Increases all stats by (2 x number of Zerg Units in battle) for two turns, Allows usage of Dark Magic)**

**Notes: Counts as Zerg Unit, has special ranged attack**

**_Overmind Omega_**

**Weapons: Scythe, Sword, Zergstone**

**Promotions: N/A**

**Skill 1: Heart of the Swarm (Divides all damage taken by number of Zerg Units in battle)**

**Skill 2: Call of the Swarm (Spawns 3 random Zerg Units (Zergling, Roach, Hydralisk, Mutalisk, or Infested Human) that remain until the end of battle; can only be used once per battle)**

**Notes: Counts as Zerg Unit, has special ranged attack, Can use Rapiers**


	3. Out of the Darkness

**And here comes chapter 2 of the story! **

**For the Reviews (Which I had to edit in, since I forgot them, MY BAD!)****:**

**Dawinnab: W****ell, those certainly sound interesting, and, although I...don't know if I can see Shepherds becoming such classes (unless people wanna give me ideas for OCs for such), as will be stated in this chapter, Robin had something going called 'Operation: Morph' that can more likely use what you asked...**

**dragoncraft: Well, I'm leaving their means of arrival ambiguous, but...well...something (or some_one_) will appear, and it's (he's) encountered someone already, as you'll see in this chapter...**

**Chapter 2: Out of the Darkness...**

* * *

The group had been walking for a while now, and Robin was almost finished going over the Swarm with her Cerebrate, which she learned she called 'Katarina', after some historical tactician from ancient times.

_'...and finally, you have the Leviathan, which is a greater form of Behemoth._'

'So, it is used for space travel and carrier duties, as well as orbital attack, as well?'

'_Precisely, it appears your memories may yet return naturally._'

'That's good...'

However, Robin was jarred from her thoughts when Lissa finally said, "I told you—it's getting dark already! ...Ech! And now the bugs are out! Noisy, disgusting bugs that buzz around and crawl all over and bite you when—" And then she accidently swallowed a bug. "Agh! Won goph in mah mouph! Blech! Ptooey!"

Chrom laughed. "Aw, come on now, Lissa. Hardship builds character. Want to help me gather firewood?"

"Tpht! Tpht! Yeeeeeuck! ...I think I swallowed it... I'll pass on finding firewood, thanks. I think I've built QUITE enough character for one day!"

Then, Robin felt an empty sensation in her stomach, which began growling. "We should probably think about food. I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

Frederick replied, "Yes, I should think a little hunting and gathering is in order. Now, who wants to clear a campsite?"

The group split into two groups, with Robin and Lissa staying behind to set up camp, and Chrom and Frederick off to look for firewood and food respectively. Later, Frederick returned with a bear, a while after Chrom returned with firewood.

After a while, the group was roasting the bear, and Robin was in mental conversation with Katarina again. '_This would likely be the best time to tell them about us, Overmind..._'

'I know, I know, but how is it that I am going to bring it up in conversation. "Hey, by the way, I'm leader of a swarm of what you'd call monsters"? I'm sure Frederick would find sufficient reason to spear me at THAT point...'

'_Well, we need to find SOME way to tell them, otherwise we may encounter a diplomatic crisis._'

'I know, I KNOW! But...I don't know how-'

"Hey, Robin...are you alright?" Chrom asked...

'_Well, Overmind, now's your chance..._' Katarina said to her.

Robin nervously tried to put together her thoughts, before finally saying, "The walk here, gave me a chance to think and figure things out, and some memories began to surface."

"That's wonderful," Chrom stated, "What did you remember?"

Robin nervously looked at him. "I...I need your word that...you won't treat me as...any less human...once you hear this, because...it's as troubling as it is unbelievable..."

Chrom then looked worried. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Robin breathed in deeply, before exhaling and asking, "Have you ever...heard of the Zerg? Or the creatures that live on the continent to the south?"

"No news has ever returned from the southern continent," Frederick stated, "All that is said to live there is wild men and grotesque creatures."

Robin now looked nervous. "I ask...because that's where I'd lived for the past 7 years..."

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "Well, I don't see what the issue is, why would we think of you as any less human if-"

"Not as one of the wild men, Chrom...as one of the creatures..." Robin interrupted. The others fell silent. "I managed to realize what my title means...The creatures from the continent are called the Zerg...and the Overmind...is the leader of the Zerg." More silence. "I don't remember much about my life, but I do remember that 7 years ago, I arrived on the southern continent, where I became one of them, and became their leader. I built the hive up to where it stretched across the continent...and, from what my Cerebrate told me-"

"'Cerebrate'?" Frederick asked.

"They're...kind of a second-in-command for an Overmind. This one, I had apparently named after an ancient Tactician, 'Katarina'..."

"Ah, after the Atoning Tactician from the Hero-King's time," Chrom stated, nodding.

"Anyways, she's been in telepathic contact with me...since I awoke in the field. She's how I knew about the spine-throwing ability I had, and how I found out I had weapons on me. And, since the city, she's been helping me remember the Zerg...so I could tell you about them, now..." Robin explained.

There was silence, a silence broken by Frederick, who glared at Robin. "And may I ask _why_ the leader of these creatures is here in Ylisse?"

"Frederick! Do you really think she'd know why-" Chrom pointedly tried to ask, but Robin interrupt him.

"It's ok, Chrom, Katarina told me about that too...I came...in the hopes of making peaceful first contact with Ylisse." Everyone remained silent, but Chrom gave a nod for Robin to explain. "There's a storm coming, Chrom, and the Zerg want to see Ylisse weather it, so I came to Ylisse to make contact, and aid it in weathering this storm. One thing I'll note is that...Katarina had already told me that, even before the incident that left me in that field without my memory, which I still don't remember, I would have still joined the Shepherds anyways. If you want me to leave, I understand...but I really do desire to help Ylisse..."

There was silence for a good minute or so...before Chrom finally said, "As I already said before, you found by our side to save our peoples' lives. In my heart, that's enough to tell me of your intentions: we'd still be proud to have you by our side."

Robin just smiled, although she did tear up a little. "Thank you..."

Chrom then spoke out, "It appears the meat's finished. You ok with bear?" he asked Robin.

"Don't worry," Robin replied, "Katarina reminded me that I and the other Zerg will eat anything..." Her smirk grew devilish, "And I mean _anything..._"

* * *

The group was sitting around the fire, with only 2 of the 4 people eating.

"Mmm... It's been too long since I last had bear meat. Delicious!" Chrom spoke out, "...What's wrong, Lissa? Dig in."

Lissa's face twisted in digust. "Pass! ...Gods, couldn't you spear us an animal normal people eat for once? I mean, come on! Who eats bear?! You're meddling with the food chain. Right, Robin? ...Uh, Robin?"

Robin, however, was chowing down hungrily...before looking and, swallowing what was in her mouth, voiced, "Zerg, remember?" before chowing down again.

Lissa sighed. "Of course, she happens to be part of a race that can eat anything..."

"Just eat it, Lissa. Meat is meat," Chrom stated.

"Since when does meat smell like old boots?! Wait, I take that back—boots smell better!"

"Every experience makes us stronger, milady. Even those we don't enjoy," Frederick stated.

"Really? Then why don't I see YOU eating, Frederick?" Lissa asked accusingly.

Frederick was caught off-guard. "Me? Oh, well... I'm not hungry. I...I had a large lunch! Yes, quite."

"Yeah right, Frederick!" Lissa exclaimed. Robin just laughed with a chunk of meat in her mouth...and that's when the others noticed something. "Wait a minute...Robin...are your chunks of meat _RAW_?!" Lissa asked in shock.

Robin merely looked down at the meat for a moment...before tearing a chunk off with her teeth and eating it. "I guess it is..." she said, after swallowing.

"It's official: _never_ have dinner with the Zerg..." Lissa stated. Robin laughed a little, despite the piece of meat in her mouth, Chrom following shortly after.

* * *

When Robin went to sleep, it wasn't until later that night, when Katarina jarred her awake. '_Overmind! There's a situation!_'

Robin quickly got up. 'What is it, Katarina?!'

'_The Overseer I have sent your way is detecting massive seismic activity in your area! Furthermore, the ones identified as Chrom and Lissa have been caught in a sector home to an unusual anomaly producing powerful temporal distortions. Finally, we have sensed another presence, one much like your own in the area, in addition to a separate, and powerful, Psi signature! We don't know what's going on, but Chrom and Lissa are probably in danger!_'

'Oh no!' Robin got up, and, sure enough, Chrom and Lissa were gone. "Frederick!" Robin called, and the knight came coming.

"What is it?...Where are-"

"Part of why I called you: they're gone, and Katarina said the Overseer she sent to support me sensed them near an area with a lot of activity. They could be in trouble!"

"Then we must get moving!" Frederick called, climbing on his horse. "Come on!"

"Don't worry about me! We Zerg-Human hybrids are pretty fleet-of-foot. Let's hurry!" Robin then went sprinting towards where the Overseer said Chrom and Lissa were, at the speed of an unencumbered horse.

"..." Frederick was shocked by Robin's burst of speed, but quickly recovered, and moved to follow.

However, he soon caught up with her...grappling a rotting, corpse-like being. "Get off me, you stupid, putrid, bag of rotting FLESH!" The thrust her palm forward, and a rippling wave shot out, launching the creature skyward.

"By the gods! What as that?!" Frederick asked, shocked.

Before Robin could answer, a couple more creatures appeared, and charged them. However, before they could strike back, a third creature appeared...and brutalized the duo's assailants. It was large, and looked like a cross between a flightless dragon and a grasshopper. It turned towards them, staring with monocolored eyes. "What is...this?!" Frederick asked. Robin, however, slowly approached. "Keep away from it, we don't know what it is and milord and milady would be cross if I let you get hurt!"

"I think I know what it is..." Robin said, continuing her approach...and putting her hand on the creature's head. The creature cooed happily, and settled on the ground, allowing Robin to pet its head, Frederick shocked by this. "It's...a Raptor...a...strand of Zergling...it's one of my Zerg..."

"_This_ is a Zerg?" Frederick asked, referring to the winged creature in front of him.

"Yes, one strand of them. It's part of a greater species called the Zergling..." Robin explained. She seemed to think, before mounting on the creature's back. "Let's get going! If a Raptor is here, than the rest of my Swarm's reinforcements must be nearby."

Frederick nodded. "Right!"

The duo rode out, soon reaching a clearing, where a young man in blue was walking away, and Chrom and Lissa were standing near a tree, a little shake, but alright. "Milord! Milady! Are you hurt?" Frederick called.

Lissa's head jolted their direction, and she cried, "Frederick! Robin!"

Chrom looked, but noticed something else. "What is that thing you're riding, Robin?!"

"A Raptor. One of my Zerg. The Cerebrate Katarina sent some forces here when she lost contact with me. The Raptor must have been a scout of these forces..." She then saw more of the corpse creatures from earlier. "...Are such horrific creatures commonplace in these lands?"

"They're not from Ylisse, I promise you that. And if your Zerg are on their way, then we may have the means to drive them _out_ again!"

"No one is injured, then? Thank the gods..." Frederick stated.

"Thank the masked man who saved me! If it wasn't for him, I'd be... Hey, where did he go?" Lissa asked.

Robin's vision allowed her to vaguely see the being in question charge off, to fight more of the creatures.

Frederick said, before anything else could be, "We can worry about him later, AFTER we put these...things...to the blade. Eyes open, now. We know nothing about this enemy."

"Right," Chrom replied, "Robin, how long until the Swarm gets here?"

"I don't know, best guess: 5 minutes."

"Then that's how long we have to hold out...Until then, do you have a plan?"

Robin looked out over the battlefield, looking for anything that could give them an advantage...eventually..."Hmm? Are those..."

"Abandoned forts, yes," Frederick replied.

Robin nodded. "Then we should take shelter in them whenever possible. No doubt they will offer distinct advantages in battle. Chrom and I get in one. Frederick, you and Lissa take the other! My Raptor will take on the creatures out here!"

Everyone nodded and entered their respective structures. Robin got up on one of the walls, and began firing both Lightning from her tome and spines from her hands at the oncoming walking corpses, while Chrom sliced through any that make it through the defenses. Frederick did similar in the other fort, while Lissa kept him healed.

Eventually, however, they heard a loud galloping. "That's not my Zerg," Robin stated.

"No...that's one of ours!" Chrom shouted, as a horse came out of the forest, carrying a woman with short, spiky red hair, and wearing red armor.

Then, the woman called out. "Captain Chrom! Wait! I'm coming! ...Agh, I knew I shouldn'ta left 'em. All right, you ash-faced freaks! Which one of ya wants to try my lance on for size first? I know just the spot for it: shoved right up your—"

However, a man in fancy clothing soon came out as well. "Hold, milady!"

Robin tuned out the argument, as she watched the skies for any signs of her reinforcements. However, a loud **_*WHACK*_** snapped her attention back to the duo...with the fancy guy on the ground and the red-haired woman off her horse...and putting her foot back on the ground from kicking the man in the head.

Fancy-man however, DIDN'T shut up. "OOF! G-goodness, but those shapely legs certainly can kick, can't they... P-please, milady! Allow me to accompany you, at least! Mine is a cold, empty world without you. I shall be your most willing servant, and you, in turn, will give my life purpose..."

The woman sighs, "Fine...Anything to shut you up...What? Stop staring at me like that!"

Then, the woman rides to the fort with Robin and Chrom in it. "So, what's the situation, Captain?"

"Good to see you, Sully. We're facing these creatures, and waiting for reinforcements from our new friend..." Chrom then points at Robin.

"Her? What reinforcements could she bring?" Sully asks.

"She doesn't look it, but she leads a swarm of creatures called Zerg. We can explain later but needless to say..." He points out in the field. "See the thing with wings fighting the...creatures that look like corpses?"

Sully looks out and spots the creature. "Yeah, what about it?"

"That's a form of Zerg. If you see creatures that look _remotely_ like it, do NOT attack them! They could be our reinforcements."

Sully looked up at the girl supposedly leading the dragon-like monster...as she raises her hand and fires 3 spikes from it, which slam into 3 of the corpse creatures, destroying them. "Normally, I'd ask if you lost your mind, but I guess, right now, we can't be picky."

"Just listen to what she says, she's also great with tactics," Chrom replies.

"Very well...Hey, kid! Where do you want me and Ruffles?"

"You go and switch with Frederick! Have him aid the Raptor! Then have the archer go and help cover you and Lissa in the other fort!"

"Alright, if you insist..." Sully stated, less than pleased to be working with the archer. Soon, however, a new surge of creatures came. Frederick and the Raptor readied for the next wave...as a screech filled the air...

***Music Track: "Europa" by Globus***

As 2 balloon-like Overlords and an Overseer came in. Everyone except Robin was shocked by the creatures' appearances. Robin, however, called, "Backup has arrived! Frederick! You and the Raptor pull back and cover the Overlords as they drop backup!" Frederick and the Raptor pulled back, while one Overlord lowered itself, and unleashed its payload: a group of 3 Hydralisks and 5 Swarmlings. "Excellent: Hydralisks, go and aid the Archer-"

"My name is Virion, milady!" the archer called out.

"-go and aid Virion. Swarmlings, form up with Sully. Attack what she attacks, or what tries to attack her, got it?" The creatures screeched in affirmation, the Hydralisks slithering to the archer, while the Zergling mutants formed up with Sully.

Soon, that Overlord lifted up to normal height, and the other lowered, to drop some of its troops, 3 roaches and 2 more Raptors. "Roaches, form up with Frederick, then Frederick, take them with you to strike the creatures directly. Raptors, form up with myself and Chrom!" The Roaches did as ordered, following the knight to take on the creatures, keeping them from getting close with their acid spit. Meanwhile, the Raptors formed up with Chrom and Robin, the latter of whom came down from the wall. Then, the Overlord, rather than taking off again, moved to them. "What is going o-"

Before Robin could finish, 2 more massive forms, a Queen and Broodmother, dropped from the Overlord, along with a Drone. "_Overmind!_" the Queen verbally exclaimed.

Chrom was shocked by this. "It just talked!"

"_'She' just talked,_" the Broodmother corrected, "_Queens like Lyndis here and Broodmothers like myself are typically considered female._"

"...My...apologies..." Chrom stated...before noticing the name. "Wait, you're named for one of the heroes of Elibe, aren't you?" Chrom asked the Zerg Queen.

"_Of course,_" the Queen stated, "_Those of us that are part of Robin's 'inner circle' were named for heroes of old._"

"Why didn't you leave the Overlord sooner?" Robin asked pointedly, before anyone could say anything else.

"_We are your bodyguards, Micaiah and I,_" the Queen, Lyndis replied, "_Our duty is to ensure your safety, above any other duty._"

Robin nodded, before she responded, "I...see..."

After recovering from that surprise, she said, "Come on! We'll take on the leader!"

"Right," Chrom stated.

"_Right behind you, Overmind!_" Lyndis called.

"_On it!_" Micaiah added.

The quartet and their Raptors charged out, the Queen and Broodmother taking point, Raptors taking the rear, slaughtering the creatures that tried to engage them. They looked around: Sully and the Swarmlings were swarming an army of creatures that charged the forts, Virion and the Hydralisks were laying down suppressing fire, slowing the advance further, while Frederick and the Roaches waded into the enemy, cutting (or dissolving) them down swiftly.

It was soon that the group reached the Chief, which Chrom charged with a shout, his sword raised aloft. Robin charged in soon after, taking out her scythe. Chrom and the Chief clashed, but Chrom staggered. The Chief lunged, but Robin spun her scythe, creating a shield that blocked the axe blow. Robin then lashed out, her scythe's blade hooking to the axe head. Both Robin and the creatures' Chief grappled, neither giving way to the other.

'Just how strong IS she?!' Chrom asked himself for what _wasn't_ the first time that day. Then, he realized what was going on: Robin gave him an opening...an opening he took, thrusting his blade into the creature, which moaned. It tried to strike with its other arm, but a pair of spikes shot in and embedded themselves in it. He thought they came from Robin, but looking back, he realized it was the Queen and Broodmother instead. 'Maybe it's an ability usable by ALL these 'Zerg' leader forms...' Chrom thought to himself, as the Chief fell, and the other creatures collapsed, dissolving into dark smoke.

***End Track***

Robin stood there, panting. Chrom about called Lissa over, when the Queen came forward, hand glowing in red light. The Queen placed the glowing hand on Robin's shoulder, and soon, Robin looked revitalized. "Thanks for that," Robin said, thanking her bodyguard.

"_Think nothing of it,_" Lyndis replied.

Chrom just watched, panting and exhausted...until a hand fell on his shoulder, and he also felt like his strength returned to him. He turned around, seeing the Broodmother Micaiah there, who nodded at him. He nodded in thanks, and regrouped with the others.

"Looks like everyone's alright," Chrom said, with relief...until he saw a pair of dead Swarmlings. He looked at Robin, who was looking sorrowfully at the lost Zerg. "Or not...I'm sorry, Robin..."

"It's...alright..." Robin said, forcing a smile. "The Zerg...are a hive mind...As long as that Hive Mind remains...a Zerg is never truly dead...as their minds are preserved in the Swarm, and they can be resurrected, in a new body..."

"You mean that if, say, yourself, were killed, your consciousness would remain in the Hive Mind until you were recreated?" Frederick asked in surprise. Robin nodded. "Alright...but onto other business... It seems all the creatures are vanquished. This young man took care of the others." He gestured towards a young man in blue, with a mask over his face.

'_This 'young man' is not what 'he' seems..._' Katarina immediately communicated to Robin.

'What makes you say that?'

'_Firstly, this young 'man' isn't a 'man' at all...just a woman that looks enough like a man to effectively disguise as one...Secondly...I hear..._'

'...Hear what?' Robin asked.

'_She...I do not know...this must be an anomaly...I must take this information to Lyon...He might have an explanation for this, when you contacted Chrom, I sent him in an Overlord towards the Ylissean Capital. He should arrive shortly after you._'

Robin recognized Lyon as one of the Zerg 'inner circle' that Katarina mentioned earlier. Lyon was her Evolutionary Master, a form that hadn't been seen since the Evolutionary Master of the first Overmind and, later, the Queen of Blades, a being called 'Abathur'. According to Katarina, Lyon shared Abathur's form, and many of his quirks, verbal patterns, etc, but a set of morals more in-line with Robin's own.

'Alright...just...tell me when you get the chance...'

Lissa then spoke out, returning Robin's mind to the outside world. "Um, I never got to thank you...for before. So...thank you. You were very brave."

"You saved my sister's life. My name is Chrom. Might I ask yours?" Chrom asked.

"You may call me Marth," the woman-disguised-as-a-man commented.

Chrom seemed surprised. "Marth? After the heroic king of old?You certainly fight like a hero. Where did you learn your way with a sword?"

"I'm not here to talk about me. This world teeters at the brink of a horrible calamity. What you saw tonight was but a prelude. You have been warned." With that, Marth walked off.

Lissa sputtered in confusion. "Huh? What's teetering where now? Hey, wait!"

"_Not much for conversation, is he?_"

That voice left the group shocked. "Uhm...Robin...tell me that was you..." Lissa stated.

"I would, but I would be lying..." Robin replied, "But...I do know who it was...Katarina! How long have you been able to talk to _EVERYONE_?!"

The Overseer that was overhead floated down to the group. "_For as long as this Overseer was here,_" the Cerebrate replied, "_It is an honor to be able to finally speak to you all..._"

"So, you are this 'Cerebrate' of Robin's that was named for the Atoning Tactician of the Hero-King Marth's time?" Frederick asked.

"_Yes, although I do not appreciate the accusatory tone, Knight..._" the Cerebrate replied.

"Enough, Frederick. You know I am Chrom, this is-"

"_Lissa, your sister, and your guard, Frederick. The Cavalier is Sully, and the Archer Virion. I know, I observed the battle from this Overseer, and was helping direct our forces when the Overmind couldn't._"

"Was it also true, what Robin said about you being there in her mind from the beginning?" Chrom asked.

"_Yes. I helped her try to remember certain details, although specific others...it is best if she found them on her own...the damage that could occur if she found them would be...catastrophic, to put it mildly._"

"I see..." Chrom replied, "How long are you going to keep watching us?"

"_Whenever Robin is near you, unless she requests I don't: it is part of my duty as Cerebrate to protect the Overmind and ensure her safety AND stability._"

"Ah, so, while Lissa and I have Frederick the Wary, Robin has Katarina the Wary?" Chrom joked.

To everyone's surprise, Katarina laughed. "_Yes, it appears so._"

Lissa then stated, with a little snark, "At least Robin's mother hen figure has a sense of humor."

That elicited another laugh from everyone, except Frederick, again. Finally, Frederick cleared his throat. "_Excuse me_, but for now I'm concerned about the capital. We should make haste."

Chrom's face fell when he remembered what happened here just now. "Yes, of course. Let's get moving."

"Right," Robin stated. Before anyone left, however, the dog-sized Drone scurried up to Robin, cooing. "Ah, alright," Robin said, reaching down and picking the Zerg Drone up. Everyone looked at her weirdly. "What...little thing's just so cute..."

Lissa looked shocked by that. "If...you say so..."

As the group moved, Lyndis and Micaiah, as well as the Overseer Katarina spoke through, followed, Frederick sighing. 'I certainly hope they do not cause a panic.'

* * *

As the group left, 'Marth' watched them leave from the shadows. Once they were gone, 'he' stopped hiding. And when 'he' did, he removed his mask, revealing...

"At least they're alright," Lucina said to herself, "Now, to get to Ferox...hopefully, things should get simpler from there-"

"_Such thoughts can be fatal to goals such as ours...One must be cautious to prevent the dark future we have both seen..._" a deep, rumbling voice spoke out.

"Who's there?!" Lucina exclaimed, pointing her sword towards where she heard the voice originate...

...Only to be met by a figure shrouded by darkness, revealing nothing but a pair of glowing, green eyes...

* * *

The chrysalis holding the Cerebrate Katarina throbbed against the Central Hive, as Katarina's mind stretched out to the Overlord which was just now crossing over onto the Ylissean Continent. '_Lyon!_'

'_Katarina. Cerebrate of Swarm. Carrying important message, if tone proper indicator._'

'_Indeed, Lyon. I have sensed something...unusual..._'

Katarina sent the information, and when Lyon received it. '_...Anomaly. Song of Swarm. Undeniable. Ways native can possess: unknown. Need analysis._'

'_I understand._ _This is something truly unusual...but also...something...like us..._'

* * *

The group continued to Ylisstol, now with increasing speed. Frederick and Lissa shared Frederick's horse, Sully (reluctantly) gave Virion a ride, Chrom elected to walk, while Lyndis and Micaiah took turns giving Robin a ride, something the duo claimed gave Robin some enjoyment when she was younger. After some thought, Robin began to gain tidbits and snippets of memories corroborating this claim. At one point, Chrom walked up alongside Micaiah, whom was the one who currently was giving Robin a ride. "So...did Katarina tell you of any other Zerg that were close to you?"

Robin turned, and thought, before saying, "Well, there's her, then you have Lyndis and Micaiah here...There's also the Evolutionary Master Lyon, he's in charge of improving the Swarm..."

"'Improving'?" Chrom asked.

"Evolving it, specifically. He essentially plays with the building blocks of the Zerg's genetics to make them into something better."

"All...right..." Chrom stated, only catching half of what Robin said. "That...sounds like something Miriel, one of our mages, would understand better..."

"Alright...anyways, we also have the head Broodmother, Elincia, and also Zelgius, who leads the Zerg in charge of Infiltration and other Covert acts. She also mentioned a modified Overseer I called 'Nergal' in charge of something called 'Operation: Morph'...I don't know much else beyond that..."

"Is that it?" Chrom asked.

"Yeah...sorry..." Robin replied.

"It's alright, I'm sure you'll remember more in time..."

The duo were silent for a moment or two. "...You know, you might just get to meet one of them. Katarina told me earlier that Lyon was going to meet us at the capital."

"Really?" Chrom asked, "I hope he arrives around when he does...otherwise he won't be able to get in..."

"...True...I think it'd be problematic to get Lyndis, Micaiah, and the Overseer in there," Robin commented.

"Don't worry, the guards will listen to me...or they should..." Chrom said.

Robin smiled gratefully. "Thanks Chrom..."

* * *

Robin was right: the guards did pitch a fit about their Zerg Escorts, and it took a lot of effort to get the Zerg in, but Chrom pulled through. Even more troubling was when an Overlord arrived, and a large form dropped from it. It was large, and slug-like, with a bulbous top, and a face, above a gaping mouth that was a little more than a vertical tear in the creature's torso. It had a few pairs of arms, each ending in hand with slender, pointy fingers and thumbs.

"Who would you be?" Chrom asked, after getting the guards to back off from the creature.

"_Lyon. Evolve Swarm, spin strands and sequences. Partner of Cerebrate Katarina and servant of Venom Queen._"

"'Venom Queen'?" Chrom asked, looking back at Robin...who was confused.

"_Robin. Overmind of Zerg Swarm. Monikers: 'Venom Queen' and 'Heart of the Swarm'. Derived from Venomed Spine Attack present in both Human and Zerg Forms._" Chrom rose an eyebrow, before shaking his head and gesturing for the group, Lyon included, to follow.

Finally, the group entered the city.

"So this is Ylisstol, capital of Ylisse... I've never seen so many humans in one place!" Robin said in wonder.

"Just humans? What about Zerg?" Chrom asked.

"Not exactly in my memories, but, based on what Katarina told me of the Swarm's numbers, I'm sure I MIGHT have seen tons of Zerg in one place before..."

Frederick then spoke out, "It appears the capital was spared the chaos we encountered, thank the gods. I see no evidence of the great quake. It must've been limited to the forest."

"Thank goodness," Robin stated.

Lissa added, "Yeah, that's a relief!"

"_City walls solidly constructed: requires Earthquake with magnitude of 4 to collapse: analysis of earthquake of previous night barely registered as 3,_" Lyon commented.

"I thought you were an 'evolutionary master'..." Frederick stated.

"_Knowledge of Genetic manipulation requires knowledge of basic scientific concepts. Easy to expand knowledge to other areas, while keeping specialization,_" the Evolutionary master commented.

Just then, an old man called out, "Look! The exalt has come to see us!"

The group looked out, and Robin spotted a young woman, with blonde hair...same blonde as Lissa's, she noted, wearing some kind of crown on her head, and with a mark on her forehead...the same mark on Chrom's right shoulder, she noted..." The exalt is your ruler, yes?" Robin asked.

"Yes. Her name is Lady Emmeryn," Frederick stated.

Robin analyzed the Exalt and her escort, which, while small, seemed armed enough to deter any attempts to attack her. "Is it safe for her to walk among commoners like this?" she asked anyways.

"The exalt is a symbol of peace—Ylisse's most prized quality. Long ago, at the dawn of our age, the fell dragon tried to destroy the world. But the first exalt joined forces with the divine dragon and laid the beast low. Exalt Emmeryn reminds us all of the peace we fought for then."

Lyon then stated, "_Fell Dragon. Designation: Grima. Moniker: Fellblood. Power Level: ...Catastrophic._"

"Glad to see you know your history..." Frederick said to the creature.

Chrom then said, "With Plegia poking at our borders, the people need her. She's a calming presence, when some might otherwise call for war."

The Queen Lyndis then said aloud, "_Then the Ylissean human population is indeed fortunate to have her in a position of leadership._"

"She's also the best big sister anyone could ask for!" Lissa said aloud.

"Yes, I imagine she..." Suddenly, Robin discovered what she said, "Wait, what? She's your... But wouldn't that make you and Chrom..."

"The prince and princess of the realm, yes. You remember Chrom's name and not this?" Frederick asked, "And...what of your Cerebrate, did she not tell you?"

A whistling emitting from the Overseer spoke volumes of Katarina's guilt in leaving that particular fact out. "You said you were "shepherds"!" Robin stated, glaring at the Overseer serving as Katarina's avatar.

"And so we are...in a manner of speaking. We just have a LOT of sheep," Chrom stated.

"C-Chrom... I mean, Prince Chrom! Sire! Forgive my dreadful manners!" Robin sputtered, trying to salvage an (imagined) incident.

"Just Chrom is fine. I've never been much for formalities," Chrom stated, before thinking and saying, "Come to think of it: you lead these 'Zerg', don't you?" Robin nodded. "Then, if anything, that makes YOU an equal to Emm, meaning _I_ should be the one pleading for _YOUR_ forgiveness for _MY_ dreadful manners," Chrom stated, laughing a little.

Robin laughed a little as well. "I guess so...Still, the prince and princess... That explains why Frederick tolerates all the teasing, eh?"

"Indeed. Oh, the sacrifices I make for the good of the realm..." Frederick stated, eliciting a laugh from everyone.

"It looks like Emm is returning to the palace. You said your mission was accomplish peaceful first contact between the Halidom of Ylisse and the Zerg Swarm: how would you like to finish that mission?"

* * *

The group entered the palace, after Chrom nearly fought with the guards over letting Lyndis, Micaiah, the Overseer, and Lyon in. Eventually, Chrom succeeded, again, in gaining them admission, and soon, they entered the Throne Room, where Emmeryn awaited, Chrom asking the 'obvious' Zerg to stay back out of sight, although Robin refused to leave the Drone behind, thus causing the guards to looks suspiciously at the lobster-like creature. "Chrom! Lissa! Welcome home. Oh, and good day, Frederick. How fared you all?"

"Well—we shouldn't have any bandit problems for a while," Chrom stated wryly.

Emmeryn smiled. "Wonderful. And our people?"

"Safe as they can be, Emm. But we still need to watch the borders. The brigands crossed over from Plegia."

One of Emmeryn's escorts, a Pegasus Knight, stated, "Forgive me, milord. My pegasus knights should have intercepted them."

"No, Phila. Your duty was here, with the exalt," Chrom assured the Pegasus Knight.

"And besides, we had plenty of help!" Lissa stated, gesturing towards Robin (and her hidden associates in the shadows).

"Ah, you speak of your new companion here?" Emmeryn asked.

"Well, companion_S_..." Chrom corrected, looking at Robin, who nodded, and nervously gestured towards the shadows...prompting the bodyguards, Overseer, and Evolutionary Master.

The guards and Phila rose their weapons...but Emmeryn raised a hand, calling them off. However, she looked at the beings quizzically. Robin set the Drone in her arms on her shoulder, nervously approached, and bowed respectfully, Lyndis and Micaiah coming to flank her. "Your Grace...I am Robin...Venom Queen, Heart of the Swarm, and Overmind of the Zerg...I aided your siblings in fighting the brigands attacking Southtown, and then I and the Swarm aided them again, when they were beset by rotting beings in the forests south of this city. I have come to the capital here...so that talks of peace and both economic and military aid can be made between the Zerg Swarm and the Halidom of Ylisse. This creature on my shoulder is a Drone, the primary workers of the Swarm, and the creatures that evolve into all Zerg Structures."

The inhabitants of the room (except with Chrom's group, only to a lesser extent, though) seemed surprised by this. The Overseer approached. "_This Overseer serves as my avatar. I am a Cerebtrate, the Venom Queen's chief lieutenant, and am named for the Atoning Tactician of the Era of the Hero-King. My name is Katarina._"

Lyndis then approached. "_I am a Queen, a General of the Swarm. I serve the Overmind as a Bodyguard, and am named for the Noblewoman of Sacae. My name is Lyndis._"

Next was Micaiah. "_I am a Broodmother, an evolved form of Queen. I also serve as a personal guard to the Overmind. I am named for the Silver-Haired Maiden of Daein. My name is Micaiah._"

Finally, Lyon approached. "_Origin of personal designation: Necromancer from Grado in Magvel who performed research on the Dark Stone. In response to question of identity and function: Lyon. Evolve Swarm, spin strands and sequences. Partner of Cerebrate Katarina and servant of Venom Queen._"

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Emmeryn said warmly, a warmth powerful enough for Robin to feel the peaceful and warm sensation through the Zerg with her, and seemed to spread through the Swarm. "It sounds as though Ylisse owes you a debt of gratitude, Robin. You and your Zerg came on what sounds to be a diplomatic mission, yet you aided our people in fighting off threats in spite of that."

"Not at all, milady. With the incident in the forest...I as merely fortunate that, when a situation befell me in Ylisse, that Katarina sent a strike team to investigate," Robin explained.

Katarina further elaborated, "_While near Southtown, the Swarm sensed that Robin was attacked with some form of Telepathic strike, that left her memories in tatters. I was fortunate to restore a base understanding of the Zerg to her, and help her recall her original purpose in Ylisse._"

"Then I must apologize for the incident that occurred on our soil," Emmeryn said, "I will ensure to have the Pegasus Knights try to keep an eye out for your attacker."

"I...appreciate it, milady," Robin stated.

Chrom then spoke in. "I've also given Robin the offer to join the Shepherds, an offer which she readily accepted, reasoning that it would not interfere with her duties to the Swarm."

"_A reasoning I reminded her of,_" Katarina added.

"Forgive me, Your Grace, but I must speak," Frederick said, "Robin claims to have arrived in Ylisse on a diplomatic mission, and have lost her memories due to an attack. While I am having some of my own doubts on these possibilities from having fought alongside her and the Swarm, I still believe we should be cautious, in case the Swarm's motives are not as peaceful as they'd have us believe."

This comment caused outrage to spread through the Zerg forces.

"_Preposterous!_" Lyndis exclaimed.

"_Absurd!_" Micaiah called.

"_Illogical: Zerg Infiltration better executed through use of Dark Enders. Zerg Overmind and Guard poor choice for infiltration units,_" Lyon states.

However, Chrom just shouts a simple, "Frederick!"

"Yet you allowed him/her into the castle, Chrom. Does this woman and the Swarm have your trust?"

Chrom replied with conviction, "Yes. She risked her life for our people, and brought her special abilities to bear to save my own life. That's more than good enough for me."

Emmeryn smiled warmly at Robin then. "Well then, Robin... It seems you've earned Chrom's faith, and as such you have mine as well."

"Milady," Robin replied simply, bowing.

"But thank you, Frederick, for your prudence, as always. Chrom and Lissa are blessed to have so tireless a guardian. I do hope they remember to mention that from time to time..."

"They occasionally express something akin to gratitude, Your Grace," Frederick replied.

"Now, I believe we must discuss a time for talks between our people to begin," Emmeryn commented.

Katarina's Overseer advanced. "_Milady, soon, the evolution of my mobile body will be complete, and I can travel to Ylisstol by Overlord. I would like to request that I take the Overmind's place at the talks, until her memories are restored, so as to not induce undue stress onto her._" Robin looked at the Overseer with a shocked expression. "_Robin, your mind is under stress from your memory loss, and I merely desire to keep you from over-exerting yourself._"

"I...very well," Robin replied reluctantly.

"Before we continue with this," Frederick stated, "Phila. I assume you've heard about the deathly creatures we encountered that the Swarm helped us dispatch, yes?"

"Yes, milord. They've been sighted all across Ylisse," Phila replied.

"Chrom, we are about to hold council. I was hoping you could join us."

"Of course."

Emmeryn then turned to the Zerg. "And if any of you can also attend, I would love to have the Swarm's input."

"Acknowledged. Myself and Katarina most application individuals: Lyndis and Micaiah required to remain with the Overmind, as per roles as Bodyguards."

"I understand."

"I think that's our cue, Robin! C'mon, there's a place I want to show you." Lissa then ran off as fast as her legs could carry her. Robin looked back to the others, shrugged, allowed the Drone back into her arms, and followed, running at her super-human speed, the Queen and Broodmother having some trouble catching up.

* * *

**Well, that's that with the chapter. **

**Now, a quick note before I go: Robin does NOT have all her memories back, Katarina merely aided her in filling the blanks as far as the composition of the Swarm and Robin's motives for Ylisse were. The significance behind the Mark of Grima, her past before the Swarm, and some other memories and tidbits of knowledge remain unknown to her.**

**Next...who's that that found Lucina? Well, I'm sure StarCraft fans can figure it out easily, but if not...I ain't sayin'. **

**Finally...what is it that Lyon and Katarina found?**

**;)**


End file.
